


Growing Pains, Part II

by LiberalPartyInMyPants



Series: The Josh and Donna Moments We All Wish We Had [4]
Category: The West Wing
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Background Josh Lyman/Donna Moss, F/M, Porn With Plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-14 20:47:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28926759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiberalPartyInMyPants/pseuds/LiberalPartyInMyPants
Summary: Takes place during Season 7, Episode 19, "Transition""In reality, she had no interest in talking. He would be back in D.C. around 11:00 that night and she would be waiting for him."
Relationships: Josh Lyman/Donna Moss
Series: The Josh and Donna Moments We All Wish We Had [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2068848
Comments: 2
Kudos: 31





	1. Chapter 1

**11/8/2006, 3:30 p.m.**

**Washington D.C.**

Donna was playing yet another round of _Yes You Have To Do This Because You Are One Of The Most Well-Known Families In The World Now_ with Helen Santos when he called her the next day. She hadn’t been formally assigned to the role of Future First Lady Handler, but had fallen into it quite naturally. On the trail, Donna often observed that Helen seemed adrift, as if she was unsure of her role and purpose. Whenever she noticed it, she would approach Helen and find a way to get her involved, incorporate her opinion, and give her an active role. Donna enjoyed helping her because Helen was a quick learner, and it reminded her of her mentee/mentor relationship with Josh early on.

Besides a great working relationship, Donna and Helen also got along on a personal level. After the whole thong/tramp stamp incident, Donna found Helen crying silently in an empty conference room. The whole situation was so profoundly unfair, Donna felt extremely protective of Helen from that moment on. She told Helen about the time she left her underwear in a room full of extremely important people and how it was mailed back to the White House. She also told her about her accidental vote for Richie leading to Jack and the mess about the press leak. She even revealed the clerical error that led to her brief interlude with Canadian citizenship, more importantly how that night, she got hammered and mouthed off to Abbey Bartlet. With each of these confidences, Donna gained Helen’s trust and they began forming a strong bond.

Josh called while he was on his way to the airport. She asked how it had gone with Sam, although she knew what was going to happen without asking. Anyone with eyes could see what a mess Josh was right now, especially someone as close and familiar as Sam. Even if Sam had no interest in coming back to D.C., Donna knew he would be startled to see his Josh looking so haggard and sounding so neurotic. Sam was a good friend and would come to D.C., even on a temporary basis, to help Josh make it through the transition smoothly.

His voice got very high as he clumsily asked if she was going to be around… generally. Man, Josh was really bad at this. She wanted to gently encourage him without pressuring so she repeatedly assured him that at some point, talking would be good. In reality, she had no interest in talking. He would be back in D.C. around 11:00 that night and she would be waiting for him.


	2. Chapter 2

**11/8/2006, 11:30 p.m.**

**Washington D.C.**

He spent most of the five-hour flight agonizing over the phone call, of course. He really needed to grow the fuck up. He didn’t know what she loved about him, but he was determined to get it together before she decided he wasn’t worth it. When he got home, he didn’t even think he could make it to his bedroom. He was completely fried and desperately needed to rest. He had just fallen back on his couch when a soft knock startled him out of his fog. His inclination was to be extremely annoyed, but he had a feeling…

She looked so pretty when he opened the door, he would have sworn he could see a golden halo around her. Was she waiting in her car for him? Apparently, she took him seriously when he said they needed to talk later… He wanted to talk to Donna, he really did. He just knew he wasn’t in the right head space for that conversation right now. He tried to tell her as much, but she quickly assuaged his fears by launching herself at him into a passionate embrace. He could honestly say he had never gone from utterly exhausted to intensely turned-on that quickly in his entire life.

He wrapped his arms all the way around her, feeling her ass and back and arms with his open hands. He felt delirious, was it really possible she was here right now? Her body was pressed completely to his and he could feel her grinding her hips and groin hard against his. They somehow got the door closed and began removing each other’s clothing, never breaking apart from their kiss. Talking was not on the table tonight, but clearly their bodies were having a conversation all on their own.

It was not lost on him that this was the first time they would be having sex in his home. He had fantasized about this thousands of times in his life. Every time Donna slept on his couch, he thought about coming out here, waking her, and the two of them making intensely passionate love on every available service. He had to continuously pull himself back into this moment and remind himself that he didn’t have to fantasize anymore, that this was really happening.

They tripped over his bags in their haste to touch and taste more of each other. They laughed into each other’s mouths as they felt for a surface. She shoved him back against a chair and dropped down to her knees. His dress shirt was unbuttoned and pushed down to his wrists, his undershirt was pushed up around his chest. He had managed to get his pants down to his ankles and she unceremoniously grabbed the waistband of his boxers and shoved them down to meet his pants on the floor.

He was barely able to brace himself before she grabbed his rapidly growing erection and wrapped her lips around the head. She swirled her tongue around the tip, tasting his precum and wetting the shaft. She gently massaged his scrotum with one hand and wrapped the other around his shaft. She began bobbing her head, sucking and squeezing till he saw stars. He sagged back against the chair, screwed his eyes shut, and tried to control his breathing. This was by far the most fervent blow job he had ever received from anyone and it was making him woozy.

“Donna baby, I’m gonna come” he gasped out. Rather than back off, she redoubled her efforts. Every muscle in his body flexed as clutched the arms of the chair, threw his head back, arched his hips, and had one of the most exceptional orgasms of his adult life. Donna kept her mouth clamped around him and continued to massage his balls as he came. The sight was so hot, and it felt so incredible, that he kept coming. She coaxed out every drop and swallowed before standing up slowly.

He was weak in the knees and the wind was knocked completely out of him. She smiled as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She stood in front of him and undid the tie on her wrap dress. What she revealed underneath the dress made him whimper. “Holy fucking hell, you’re actually going to kill me” he said shakily. She laughed as she stepped out of her boots, and slowly twirled for him. “Oh my god” he whispered reverently as he lightly fingered the royal blue velvet straps that crisscrossed her back.

He didn’t know how to describe what she was wearing but it was lacy and strappy and painfully sexy. He hooked his finger around one of the straps and pulled her towards him. He kissed her thoroughly, his tongue sweeping every part of her mouth. She undid the tiny buttons at his wrist and got his shirt off and broke their kiss for moment to get his undershirt over his head. He stood up straight but wobbled a little as he stepped out of pants and underwear. She giggled into his mouth and he knew that was going to be one of his favorite sounds for the rest of their lives.

“What do you call this thing anyway?” he asked as he continued to feel the straps on her chest and back. She giggled again and said it was a _bralette,_ whatever that meant. “Well, I really like it. And I really like the matching underwear. And I really really like the things around your thighs and waist…” She just smiled and let him guide her to the couch as he felt every inch of her lingerie. The back of her knees hit the couch and he gently pushed her back so that she was sprawled all over it. He worshiped her with his eyes as he fell to his knees next to the couch, never taking his hands off of her or the lingerie. “You know, I was about to fall asleep on this couch by myself 20 minutes ago” he said.

“Well don’t you prefer what’s happening on this couch now?” she asked rhetorically. “This couch deserves to be in the Smithsonian with you lying on it like this…” he said distractedly as he tried to figure out how to remove her panties. There were garters and buckles and straps he didn’t understand. He gave up and started kissing her stomach and thighs. He kissed her on top of her lacy panties and between her legs. He could feel the moisture collecting there through the underwear and was desperate to taste her.

He hooked his thumb around the crotch of her panties and pulled them to the side, taking her labia with the panties and spreading her wide open. He nosed and rubbed his stubble all over every inch of her pussy, She was writhing and soaked, desperate for his tongue or fingers or dick. He began working her clit softly with his tongue and penetrated her with one finger. She was purring his name and even though he just came so hard, he felt his dick twitch in response each time she said “ _Joshua”_ like that. He might like that sound even more than the giggle…

He began licking and sucking on her clit in earnest, thrusting two fingers inside her at the same pace. He knew hitting a good spot because she was keening in a high pitch he had never heard from her before. Damn, he really like that sound too. He swirled his tongue around her clit as he massaged her g-spot and soon, she began convulsing. She pulled his hair and yelled “don’t stop Josh, do it exactly like that!” He usually did whatever Donna told him, so he had no problem in following her instructions. He kept at it until she arched completely off the sofa, her face frozen in a silent scream. He pulled his finger out of her and very softly stroked her clit with the flat part of his tongue until her breathing slowed.

He moved his mouth off her and gently dislodged her hands from his hair. Her head was hanging behind the arm of the couch while one leg was draped over the back and the other foot on the floor. She was a goddess. He sat on the couch and turned to face her, determined to figure out how to take her panties off. He undid the tiny buckles first. He realized that they were attached to the straps crisscrossing her stomach and that once he moved them out of the way, it was quite easy to remove the lace scrap covering her crotch.

She was still recovering from her orgasm and her legs were jelly so she wasn’t much help as he slid her panties off and put her legs in the exact same position, one slung over the back of the couch, one on the floor. She sat up a little to look at him and quirked an eyebrow. With her legs like this, he had a gorgeous view of her swollen, wet pussy and he tenderly touched it all over. He looked up at her and asked “how ya doin?”

“Pretty damn good” she breathed out as she moved to readjust. He gently placed his hands on her thighs and held her in her position. “I wanna try something if it’s okay…” he said delicately, looking into her eyes. She laughed a little and quivered in anticipation. “I trust you Josh” she said, gazing back at him. She relaxed her body as he inserted two fingers into her tender wetness. He found her g-spot instantly and she gasped as he got to work. He picked up the pace and penetrated her with his fingers rapidly as he slipped the third finger in. She was crying in ecstasy, certain she had never felt this level of acute pleasure in her life. He used his other hand to rub her clit, both hands moving so fast they were a blur.

He continued to rapidly thrust three fingers in and out of her, apply exquisite pressure on every erogenous zone in her pussy until she felt like she was going to explode. After holding back for as long as possible, she let go and a gush of wetness squirted from her body. Josh was extremely pleased; this is exactly the result he was hoping to achieve. He looked up at her, never stopping his hands. She was crying actual tears now, screaming “Oh my god Josh, what the fuck! I’ve never felt this before!” She squirted several more times and let out a guttural moan that would reverberate in his mind forever. She grabbed his wrists and clamped her legs shut, panting and sweating. He pulled back and took a minute to admire his handiwork. They had made a mess but the sight of her and the wetness that came from her was beyond the most erotic sight Josh had ever seen.

“Holy fuck” she wheezed, staring at him. He grinned back and said “I had to return the favor, you just gave me one of the most intense orgasms I’ve ever had…” She cracked up and managed to get out “likewise!”

Once she recovered from the aftershocks of what he had done to her, they cleaned up and went to the bedroom. She unhooked a couple of straps and was soon completely naked. He was confused and impressed by women’s clothing. They slipped into the bed and faced each other. She gave him a million-watt smile and said, “well that was fun.” He flashed his dimples and kissed her deeply in response. They were both asleep within minutes.


	3. Chapter 3

**11/9/2006, 5:30 a.m.**

**Washington D.C.**

When she woke 5 hours later, she was alone in the bed. She sighed and got dressed quickly, going commando, not bothering with the lingerie. She had been immensely patient with Josh thus far, but he was clearly spiraling and nothing short of an intervention was going to help him get his head right. She would talk to Sam later that day to see if he could help. Until then, she had to put her foot down. It’s not that she felt that Josh was taking advantage of her, it was honestly probably the other way around.

But it was obvious he was making no effort to relax or give any thought to their relationship. Even the President-Elect noticed Josh’s increasingly erratic moods and had tried to lighten his load by putting Barry Goodwin in charge of the transition. Rather than taking the break he was generously given, Josh took it deeply personally and worked doubly hard. He was averaging two hours of sleep a night, running on a diet of antacids and sex with Donna. She was going to have to do something about this before it was too late…

She slipped her lingerie in her bag, called a cab, and went out to see what Josh was up to. He ignored her greeting and rambled on about the education plan. She sighed, resigned to the fact that she would have to say something to him about all this. He tried to make up for his idiocy when he saw her face. He was right, last night was _really_ nice _, way up_ on the niceness scale, but that wasn’t going to save him from what she was about to say.

She had thought about what she wanted to say, so it came out easily. She had worked for him long enough to know that in order to take an assignment seriously, he needed a deadline. While she had no actual intention of cutting their relationship off in four weeks, she had to tell him that because he worked best under pressure. She knew he wouldn’t have a response right away which was fine. She actually loved that dopey look on his face. She kissed him and left quickly after throwing down the gauntlet. It would be interesting to see how the day unfolded…

**********************************************************************************************************************************************

**11/9/2006, 6:00 a.m.**

**Washington D.C.**

He sat there for several minutes after she left, trying to process what had just happened. He didn’t know if it was the lack of sleep or if he was truly stupid, but he didn’t understand what she meant by four weeks. Did she mean that in four weeks they would have another talk to decide what they were? Was she saying they were only going to do this for four weeks? Did she want him to define their relationship within four weeks? He was kind of hoping she would just handle this part of their lives too; he didn’t have the energy to spend on it. He just wanted to _be with her_ , wasn’t that obvious?!

The way she just kissed him and left him was alarming. It made him feel like she would have no problem walking away from him after their four weeks were up. He groaned and popped a couple more antacids. Today was going to be a long day. He took a very quick, tepid shower and threw on his last clean suit, an old-fashioned grey pinstripe affair that he probably should have gotten rid of years ago. When was the last time he went to the dry cleaners anyway?

He fidgeted in the still-dark Transition office waiting for anyone else to show up. He was thinking about the education plan and the VP seat and staffing the rest of the cabinet and how to deal with Donna and how much he wished Sam was there and how much his head hurt and the ulcer he was sure was developing in his gut. He had a very tenuous grasp on his emotions right now and it was beginning to affect his physical health. By the time Ronna, Bram, Otto, and the rest showed up, he was itching for a fight.

After several unpleasant exchanges with his staff, the President-Elect, and CJ, he went outside for some air and perspective. He wanted to call Donna but instead called Sam. Josh didn’t know this was the second time that day that Sam was receiving a call beseeching him to come to D.C. He may have relaxed a tiny bit if he knew Sam had purchased a seat on the redeye to D.C. the second he hung with Donna earlier in the day.

Josh ended up staying the night at the office, partly because he was upset that Donna hadn’t called him before leaving and partly because he didn’t have a clean suit at home anyway. Back in the early Bartlet days, Donna had forbidden him from having a couch in his old office because she knew he would never go home. He was already proving her right on the first night in the new office. It was a waste of an office all-nighter though, because he did no work and instead, spent the entire night agonizing over what Lou said about him not having a life.


	4. Chapter 4

**11/10/2006, 8:00 a.m.**

**Washington D.C.**

It had been an intense day and she left the office at a decent hour so she could have a bubble bath in CJ’s guest bathroom. CJ had made a point to mention that Donna would have the place to herself because Kazakhstan and China meant CJ was spending the night at the White House. Frankly, Donna was sick of thinking about Josh and politics, so she was grateful for the solitude. She soaked in the tub and reflected on the day.

She kept her distance from Josh that entire day, wanting to give him space to think about her four-week ultimatum and also not wanting to deal with his visibly terrible mood. She suspected she was partly to blame for his dour temper but still wanted nothing to do with it. She was in a great mood after her job offer from the future First Lady and knew that Josh would find some way to ruin it.

She still took care of him from afar though. She called Sam at 8 a.m. sharp, Pacific Standard Time. She told Sam that whether he chose to take the DCOS job or not, he needed to at least come to D.C. for a few days to make sure Josh didn’t kill himself. Sam had seen Josh at his lowest low, but it sounded worse than ever. To be honest, he had been worrying about Josh since he saw him yesterday and hearing Donna’s concerned voice was all the confirmation he needed.

Once Donna knew Sam would be there tomorrow, she let go of her worry about Josh, for the day at least. That was until the President-Elect called her into his office to talk to her about Josh, as if she were his keeper. She had to laugh though, even as he asked her if Josh was having fun or seeing anyone, the President-Elect talked to her as if Josh was her husband. Everyone did that, even Josh.

As she soaked in the tub, she realized the transition to them being an official couple would be incredibly easy. Everyone already saw them as a unit and they both clearly felt and operated that way. The only thing left was for them to acknowledge it out loud.

She had a deeply restful sleep for the first time in a long time, feeling secure in her career and relationship. She was in a confident and serene mood when she saw Josh at the office and gave him a brilliant smile. When he got closer, she was startled to see how awful he looked and knew immediately that he spent the night here. She was happy to share the news about Helen Santos’s offer with him and had to laugh internally at his compulsively reflexive counteroffer. She knew she could never work for him again and now realized she didn’t have to. She told him as much and wasn’t surprised that his immediate reaction was to lash out, claiming there was _no way_ he could figure out what was going on between them in the timeframe she laid out. She knew this was coming but she had hoped he would do the mature thing. “Three weeks and six days” she responded, the picture of assured peace.


	5. Chapter 5

**11/10/2006, 8:00 a.m.**

**Washington D.C.**

He almost passed out from relief when he saw Sam in the doorway. He was so relieved that he forgot about his troubles momentarily when he saw Donna in the hallway. She looked so beautiful and confident today, what did he do to deserve that smile? As soon as she told him about the future First Lady’s offer, he realized the smile hadn’t been because of him at all. He realized it probably wasn’t great that he wasn’t the first one to offer her a job…Well he could do better than Chief of Staff to the First Lady, he could offer her Senior Communications Staff which was just a step away from Senior Staff to the President!

He would never admit how much it hurt him when she said she never wanted to work with him again. He knew his timing was shit, but she didn’t have to be so _final_ in her rejection. He lashed back by telling her the time frame she laid out wasn’t going to be enough time. He was rejecting her ultimatum. He didn’t understand how she could look so peaceful and earnest as she pierced him with a cool “three week and six days.” He made excuses and left her standing in the middle of the hall. He had worked himself up into a state and needed to do some breathing exercises. 

Not being able to find his Blackberry was the final straw. Much like an angry boil, he finally came to a head and exploded, leaving poor Otto to deal with the fallout. The lack of sleep, perceived inability to make anyone around him happy, and constant cognitive distortions got the best of him and he flew off the handle in a way that was more humiliating to him than Otto, although everyone who witnessed it wanted to vanish into the ground.

Sam heard Josh screaming from down the hallway. He had gotten lost in the day and was thinking about how natural it felt to be back, how he had already loosely framed the next four years in his mind, how he would demand a promotion upon re-election. The sound of Josh’s voice brough him crashing back to reality, his daydreams dissolving immediately. Under no circumstances would he remain in D.C. if _this_ was how Josh planned on behaving. Donna was right, he needed to put his foot down.

Josh was already feeling contrite before Sam walked in but once he saw him, Josh was mortified and deflated. He sat with his head on the desk for a long time after Sam left, thinking about how two of his closest friends had presented him with serious ultimatums in the space of 36 hours. The more he thought about it, the more he realized how easy both Donna and Sam’s asks were. He was just a dumbass.

He loved Donna. He wanted to _be_ with her. _Forever_. She gave him four weeks to tell her what he had already been thinking for years. He had tried to throw himself into work in order to avoid dealing with his feelings for Donna for the tenth year in a row, extremely unsuccessfully. Given Sam’s ultimatum, he had no choice. Sam was forcing him to take a vacation and he would use it to get his life in order. He called Otto into his office and apologized for his behavior. Otto was skeptical but enthusiastically set out to complete the strange task Josh had assigned him.

Josh suspected the President-Elect would be fine with him taking a vacation but was still relieved to receive the enthusiastic send off. He returned to his office and tapped Ottos desk on his way to his office. He began writing a quick note to Donna while he waited for Otto to finish printing what he asked for. Otto brough him the documents and an envelope. Josh set aside some of the papers for himself and folded the rest with his note, sealed them into the envelope, and placed it on Donna’s desk on his way out the building.


	6. Chapter 6

**11/10/2006, 2:00 p.m.**

**Washington D.C.**

She was busy looking for him, so she didn’t notice the envelope until she was at her desk. She hadn’t seen Josh since she dropped the “three weeks and six days” line that she had been so proud of. She noticed Otto and Ronna and a few others watching her closely as she picked up the envelope and felt extremely self-conscious suddenly. She slipped the envelope into her bag and collected her things to take a lunch and open the mysterious communiqué in privacy. She found a bench outside and was shocked to discover the contents of the envelope.

The note on top simply said: _“Let’s go away together. I’ll meet you on the plane tonight. Love, Joshua.”_ With the note, she found a printed boarding pass and itinerary for a flight at 5:50 p.m. tonight and an 8 day/7 night stay at a luxury resort in Maui. Her heart raced and her vision blurred. She blinked several times, making sure her eyes weren’t deceiving her, that he had really written the word love, that he really bought her a plane ticket and booked them a hotel room for a week in Hawaii.

She calmed herself and ran back into the building to let someone know she was going to take the week off. She honestly didn’t know who to tell. She hadn’t accepted the First Lady’s offer yet and as Campaign Manager, technically Josh was her boss. She supposed she should tell the President-Elect so she asked Ronna if she could speak to him for a second. Ronna was smiling suspiciously at Donna as she returned from the office and held the door open for her.

“Hi President-Elect, I need to let someone know that I’m going to take a vacation.”

“A vacation?!” he replied with surprise.

“Yes, it’s okay with Josh, I’ll let Lou know also.”

Matt was connecting the dots and looked up at Donna sharply with renewed interest. “Well, if Josh is okay with it, I’m certainly okay with it. Enjoy your vacation.”

She smiled at him and turned to leave when he said “Hey Donna.” She looked at him to find him smiling at her softly as he said, “I’m happy for you two. Take care of our guy, would you? He needs you and I need him.” Donna was touched and returned the smile as she left the office, already making a mental check list of everything she had to do in order to make it onto the plane before the gates closed.

************************************************************************************************************************************

**11/10/2006, 5:20 p.m.**

**Washington D.C.**

He never really doubted she would come. But he still texted her as he stood at the gate, nervously craning his neck to see if she had arrived. _“You’re coming right?”_ She texted him back as he approached the end of the jetway, _“Right behind you_ . _”_ He couldn’t see her but felt immensely relieved. He gazed out the window contemplating what being on vacation together would be like, when he felt her next to him. Suddenly, he realized how spontaneous this had been and how she could have easily refused him. He was so grateful that she trusted him, loved him enough to fly across the hemisphere with him. He sighed into their kiss, hoping she understood that he was sorry for how he had been the last few weeks, and that this trip was the beginning of a new chapter.

He put his arm around her shoulders, and she settled into his chest, laying her head on his shoulder. They were both so happy to be there in that moment together that they felt into a relaxed nap before the plane even took off. They had the 10-hour flight, week-long vacation, and the rest of their lives to talk.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading the first 4 parts! I've had a lot of fun writing these little background pieces, I've been thinking about it for years and it feels so good to get it out of my head and out into the ether. I discovered AO3 recently so I feel like I'm late to the party but it's nice to see that so many people are still into WW after all these years. 
> 
> This part was kind of the end of canon. I'm really enjoying exploring J&D's relationship outside of D.C. and the constraints they created for themselves so we might have more AU stuff in the future than I originally intended. Look out for a ton of Hawaii fluff. There will be a brief return to canon for the Inauguration of Santos and then we'll see where life takes us. Thanks again for reading and please feel free to leave comments or message me!


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